1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print mask apparatus for use in a printer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Economical sizes of color prints include various sizes, such as the E-size (about 82.5 mm by about 115 mm), the B-size (about 85 mm by about 85 mm) and so forth. The E-size particularly includes sizes which have slightly different lengths of photographic paper, for example, 114 mm, 117 mm and 120 mm, though having the same width (about 82.5 mm). Further, color prints having each of the above-described print sizes involve two different styles of printing, that is, one in which the picture has a white border around its edges and one having no such border. These printing operations are carried out in color printing laboratories in accordance with the particular requirements of customers and DP shops.
Accordingly, color printing laboratories need a printer which is capable of printing as desired various size types as described above. The photographic paper which is employed in the printer of the described type is generally in the shape of a roll, and the images formed on a photographic film are successively printed on this photographic paper.
In such a printing operation, it is inconveniently necessary to change print masks when changing from one print size to another in terms of length, or when switching over the printing style from the bordered style to the non-bordered style, or vice versa, let alone the case where the changeover between print sizes requires two kinds of photographic paper which have different widths.
It is possible to effectively employ Japanese Patent Application No. 164,095/1979 (see the specification of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 87,032/1981) "Print Mask Apparatus" which has been previously proposed by the applicant of the present invention as a print mask apparatus which makes it possible to vary print sizes in terms of the longitudinal direction alone and which is thus appropriate when effecting changeover between print sizes which are equal to each other in terms of the dimension in the lateral direction of the photographic paper employed but are different in terms of the dimension in the longitudinal direction of the paper.
However, when changing over the printing style between that which employs a white border and that which has no such border, it is necessary to employ a print mask apparatus which is capable of varying print sizes in terms of both the lateral and longitudinal directions of the photographic paper even when the above-described two kinds of pictures have the same print size. No print mask apparatus has heretofore been available which satisfies the above-described requirement and which enables print sizes to be easily changed over by an operation conducted externally in a state wherein the apparatus is set in a printer of the type described above.